A Little Less Macho, A Little More Geek
by the-Bookworm-Princess
Summary: Sequel to "Some Hearts Just Get Lucky Sometimes". An amusing confession is made around a campfire. Short McKay/Keller fluff.


A/N: This McKay/Keller series only accepts canon up to the end of the episode "Search and Rescue." If I choose to incorporate any other canon events after that, it will be made apparent in the fic. This story takes place about two weeks after "Some Hearts...". Also, I know it's really fluffy, but in the immortal words of Stich, "I LIKE fluffy!" :-D

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"Nothing says 'welcome back to the team' like a harvest festival, huh, Teyla?" Ronon said, pouring himself another drink.

"Yes," Teyla smiled. "I enjoyed the ceremony. And this," she gestured to her teammates, with the addition of Dr. Keller, sitting relaxed around a small fire, "is wonderful."

"What'd you do with Torren?" he asked, curious.

"He is with his father," Teyla answered. "I am sure they are both sleeping soundly in their beds right now."

"Remind me again why _I'm_ not in my own bed sleeping soundly?" Rodney sighed.

"Because it is dark and the Gate is an hour from the Jurandan settlement," Teyla answered.

"Do I at least get my own tent this time?" he asked.

"Yes."

Ronon poked the campfire with a long stick, causing sparks to fly up. "What's wrong, McKay? You don't like sharing a tent with me?" he teased.

"Actually, with a few more cups of _this_," Rodney said, raising his clay cup of Jurandan ale, "I might not even care."

"You're not drunk yet?" Jennifer asked.

"No, just…very content," Rodney answered with an easy smile.

"Yeah, an' I'm not drunk either," Sheppard slurred, then took another swig from his cup.

"I believe you have had enough," Teyla said, taking the cup from his hand.

"No, I'm fine, I'm fine," he said, waving his hand and nearly smacking Teyla in the face.

"No, John. I think it would be best for you to…what is the term? Sleep this off?"

John reached forward to grab the pitcher of ale, lost his balance, and fell over. When he just lay there and didn't attempt to get up, Teyla rolled her eyes. "Ronon, will you help me?"

Ronon, who was about two cups ahead of John but still more sober, grabbed John by his collar and pulled him to his feet. Then he and Teyla each put an arm around Sheppard and began walking him towards the tents in which they were to stay the night.

"Where we going?" John asked.

"_You_ are going to bed," Ronon answered.

"But 'm not sleepy…"

Rodney watched as his team slowly walked their leader away, leaving him alone by the fire with Dr. Keller.

"Bet Colonel Sheppard's going to have a hangover in the morning," Jennifer sighed. "And guess who he's going to be yelling at for Tylenol…"

"He does have a habit of getting drunk at these things, doesn't he?" Rodney commented.

She nodded. "I think he just likes the attention from Teyla, always putting him in bed and taking care of him in the morning."

Rodney snorted and brought his cup up for another sip. "Tell me something I don't know."

"I almost kissed Ronon once…"

Rodney sprayed ale all over the place, causing Jennifer to laugh at him. "You did _what_?!"

"We didn't _actually_ kiss, Rodney," she assured him. "Just…almost."

"How do you _almost_ kiss someone?" he asked, staring at her.

"Do you remember when we had the false quarantine incident?"

"When Katie dumped me? Yes, thank you for bringing up _that_ pleasant memory."

"It was a bad day for everyone, Rodney," she replied. "Anyways, Ronon and I were stuck in the infirmary for three hours and actually had a conversation that didn't consist of me asking him what he did to himself or why he was gushing blood. We just… We kinda connected, y'know?"

"So, naturally, you tried to kiss him?"

She sighed. "We were going to, but then Zelenka restarted the system and the doors opened. I jumped up, ready to help whoever was sick."

"So do you still like him?" he asked.

Jennifer wanted to roll her eyes. "I didn't ask _Ronon_ to come to New York with me, Rodney."

"Oh." Even in the firelight, Jennifer could see the realization on his face.

"God, you're thick," she chuckled.

"Hey, there's a reason why, in my four years here, only one woman has liked me, okay?" he said somewhat defensively.

"_I_ like you…"

"Yes, I think I've got that, thank you," he said, flustered.

She laughed softly.

"So what did he do?" Rodney asked, curious. "When he tried to kiss you, I mean."

"He announced in a very manly fashion, 'I'm gonna kiss you, Doc.'"

"Really?"

"No." She smirked; messing with Rodney really was fun. "He just kind of…spontaneously scooted over next to me and did it."

"Oh." Rodney waited two seconds, then slowly scooted over closer to her.

Jennifer snickered. "Nice spontaneity."

He shrugged. "I try."

When he didn't say or do anything further after a moment, she poured herself some more ale. As she set the pitcher down, she heard Rodney mumble to himself, "Ronon, of _all_ people…" She just smiled, watching the dancing flames of the campfire.

"So why didn't you hook up with him after the quarantine mistake was cleared up?" Rodney asked, after taking a quick look around to make sure that Teyla and Ronon weren't on their way back.

She shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, Ronon's a great guy. And there's a lot more to him than I thought when I first met him," she said, remembering their meaningful conversation in the infirmary. "He's just…not really what I think I'm looking for…"

"Little too much caveman warrior for you?"

She smiled. "Something like that."

"So what does that make me?"

"Hmm…" She thought for a minute. "Nerdy, arrogant, bossy…genius, hypochondriac Canadian."

"Huh. That's a mouthful."

"Yeah."

"You think all that's worth putting up with?"

She turned from watching the fire and looked up at him. "Yes."

He smiled, pleased. "Good." Then he leaned over to kiss her.

Jennifer set down her cup and brought a hand up to touch his face as his lips brushed hers. Truth be told, she'd been waiting for him to do that since they went to the gala in New York.

Rodney pulled away when he heard footsteps approaching behind him. They looked up to see Ronon smirking down at them. "Were you guys making out?"

Jennifer blushed and Rodney wondered where Ronon had picked up that phrase. "And if we were?" Rodney asked.

Ronon shrugged and sat down. "I don't care." Rather than finding his old cup, he simply grabbed the pitcher and took a large gulp directly from it. "Actually, I'm happy for you, McKay," he went on. "Maybe if you finally get some, you'll stop being so grouchy all the time."

Jennifer choked on her drink and Rodney's ears turned pink. "It was _one kiss_!" he cried.

Ronon chuckled a low, pleased laugh and was about to say something further when they heard Teyla's voice from the tents.

"Ronon!" she called, standing at the entrance of John's tent. "Colonel Sheppard has vomited on himself and I am _not_ unclothing him."

"We can't take him anywhere," Ronon sighed, standing up again and heading back to the tents.

"Well, on that lovely note, I think I'll go to bed," Jennifer said, standing up.

Rodney stood up quickly as well. "He didn't mean it, what he said," he said nervously. "His comment about us… I'm not gonna-- I mean, it was never my intention--"

"Would you _relax_?" she interrupted, amused. "Ronon said it, not you. Besides, if you try anything, I'll just sedate you with a tranquilizer." She smiled.

"I won't. I wouldn't. I mean--"

She silenced him with a kiss, this one a little more heated than the last. She let him go with a teasing smile a moment later and murmured, "G'night."

Rodney just stood there, a dopey smile on his face. "Night."


End file.
